Introduction
The research completed by Hogan (2006) begins with an exclusive and concrete introduction that creates a plausible background that necessitates the study. To achieve this, the researcher exemplarily declares the need to establish a monitoring system that would reduce the tendencies of deaths because of undiscovered early signs by the nursing professionals. Hogan (2006) asserts in her introductory statement that numerous studies should focus on discovering and implementing the culture of supporting processes of achieving early recognition of risks of a patient to reach the status of the ascertained provision of prompt and efficient treatment. The researcher notes that historical practices that have deviated from the norm of monitoring have largely contributed to the degrading provision of customized nursing experience and practices aimed at preventing patient deaths because of undiscovered complications related to dysfunctional breathing and circulation systems.
This qualitative research shall significantly help the nursing sector, professionals, and other health authorities in understanding reasons for the impending paucity concerning patient monitoring and observation practice. The study’s identification of the underlying factors shall act as the basis for future action that allows for appropriate implementation of systems necessary for ensuring adequate monitoring of patients (Gerrish & Lacey, 2010). The study’s findings are consistent with previous studies aimed at examining the research topic.
The research article explores the relevant and extensive literature intending to form a firm ground upon which to develop a theory. The use of numerous studies and research materials with empirical evidence offers the best background for the study. Categorical assertions gained by the preceding section of the review of relevant literature serve as the strength for justifying the current study. Before the actual administration of the qualitative study, the article gives a clear picture that points to the literature gaps responsible for the continuing paucity among the nursing staff in respect of patient monitoring of patients with breathing and circulation complications (Polit & Tatano, 2008). The research will help formulate nursing policies and general health recommendations that aim at solving the prevalent patient vulnerabilities through the implementation of early-warning systems (EWS).
Specific Aims and/or Research Questions and Design
Hogan (2006) explores a pertinent issue in nursing that relates to the paucity and lack of adequate studies that attempt to explore the issue at hand. Hogan (2006) develops the research objectives from a well-grounded theory and literature that exhume the current fallacies that go unnoticed due to the lack of efficient monitoring plans aimed at detecting illness during the early stages by nursing professionals. The research formulates a concise objective to investigate some of the reasons that explain the existing paucity. The aim of the study further depicts the situation clearly and the study satisfies this criterion by exploring the attitude and perception of nurses influencing their working practice.
In examining the objective of the study, we read the consistency with which the aim of the research compels further investigation that attempts to answer the research question. The researcher’s choice of the qualitative research design facilitated through focused group discussion afforded the study a comprehensive analysis to develop relevant themes necessary for answering the main research purpose. Since the study attempts to explain the phenomenon from its pre-existing condition and environment before the study, the qualitative study remains the most appropriate approach for the study. Most scholars have suggested that the use of focused group discussions remains critical in exploring individuals’ knowledge and experiences.
Participants
The study drew its participants from among the practicing nurses who formed focused groups to serve as the primary source of qualitative data through interviews. Although the study identifies focused group discussions as the main approach of conducting data collection, clear the research article provides no clear sampling technique and numbers of respondents used. Therefore, the study stands criticized for lack of clear articulation of the sampling procedures applied during the research (Subbe, Kruger, Rutherford & Gemmel, 2001). It is worth noting that for research to appoint itself as valid in respect to its finding, proper sampling techniques must be seen to have been utilized by the researchers to give plausible and reliable results.
This research hence runs the vulnerabilities of failing to satisfy the research criterion demanding the establishment of appropriate processes, techniques that yield study samples. However, although the study does not afford to clarify this instance the article cushions itself by expressly identifying the type of respondents who serve as the sample data for the study. Based on the analysis of the article, the researcher maintained that the target respondent populations were qualified nurses, student nurses, and healthcare assistants (HCAs), as these groups regularly undertook the responsibility of monitoring patient observations. Therefore, the research article enumerates the appropriateness of the sample in respect of their ability to infer situational meaning with a view of obtaining data from the experiences, perceptions, and knowledge of respondents.
While it is critical to provide respondents with protection, health researchers must uphold the highest professional standards that conform to human subject protection. To ensure that this objective is achieved, the researcher undertook to obtain ethical approval from the local research committee before the actual study. So far, the article gives a scanty preview of the procedures used in obtaining and processing the sample data. The absence of the number of respondents who formed the sample data fails to justify the sampling size or threshold requisite for a dependable size capable of providing a basis for generalization (Walsh, 1997).
Data Collection and development of interview questions
The analysis of the research article shows that the research interview questions attained the set objective of obtaining necessary data for making theoretical conclusions. The research used three similar (homogenous) groups of HCAs, student nurses, and qualified practicing nurses all drawn from surgery, orthopedic surgery, emergency, medicine departments of the health sector. To create common themes, a study must attempt to create homogeneity by grouping the sample data that share common phenomena with a view of designing themes necessary for explaining the situation in its natural setting (Silverman, 2004).
Data Analysis and Results
The assessment of raw data and themes of the study shows a great extent of coherence, thus creating a consistent finality embedded in the analysis section of the research. The presentation of the research findings under relevant themes offers the best form of understanding the results. An analysis of the results and form of presentation reveal that the research has considered offering clear and precise results. The explanation of the resultant themes obtained from the study offers an opportunity for an average reader to understand the research findings while ensuring an appropriate basis for future researchers to pursue the topic from a diverse direction (Janice & Peggy, 1995). The result of the study is inconsonant with findings of previous research conducted on connected topics to the current study.
According to Hogan (2006), the results, just as previous findings reveal that nurses’ ritualistic and routine practices dictated how they accomplished their professional nursing practices. The researcher acknowledges based on the findings that nurses’ roles are critical in the early detection of breathing dysfunction among patients. The article concludes that observation, reporting of heart failures, and blood pressure serve as the basis for formulating effective EWS. The research notes in its conclusions that nurses should focus on physiological observations with utmost priority to ensure early identification of patient risks. Therefore, these conclusions remain consistent with the empirical and theoretical literature, collected data.
Overall Evaluation
Reading the article, one encounters no critical challenges of complex presentation of the study content. The researcher maintains a smooth flow of the research by ensuring systematic chapters and sub-sections. The introduction to the study gives a clear and elaborate insight into the study area with a great research thesis that sets the research moving (Janice & Peggy, 1995). While presenting argumentative sentiments that depict the relevance of the study, the researcher points clearly to the impending research gaps that necessitate the current study. Strong and assertive illustrations offer the best foundation for a plausible research document (Creswell, 2003). However, the study harbors within itself the limitations of the inability to offer generalizations because it was generated from a single source. Therefore, single-source errors fail to exalt the research as a basis of general theory application.
Recommendations for improving the research
Relying on the preceding limitations and weaknesses of the research article, the study would offer the most reliable findings had it utilized mixed research that considers both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the study scenarios (Andrew & Halcomb, 2009; Creswell, 2003). The use of mixed research approaches cushions the research from the vulnerabilities and limitations inherent in both methods while benefiting from double merit. Similarly, the research would provide better conclusions if it considers utilizing a wide range of data and varied respondents to qualify the generalization criterion. This would serve to overcome the current limitations necessitated by lack of validity measures, single-source, and narrow data sample.
References
Andrew, S., & Halcomb, E. (2009). Mixed methods research for nursing and the health sciences. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. New York, NY: SAGE.
Gerrish, K., & Lacey, A. (2010). The Research Process in Nursing. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Hogan, J. (2006). Why don’t nurses monitor the respiratory rates of patients? British Journal of Nursing, 15(9), 489-492.
Janice, M. M., & Peggy, A. F. (1995). Nursing research: the application of qualitative approaches. New York, NY: Nelson Thornes.
Polit, D. F., & Tatano B. C. (2008). Nursing research: generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Silverman, D. (2004). Qualitative research: theory, method and practice. New York, NY: SAGE.
Subbe C. P, Kruger M, Rutherford, P., & Gemmel, L. (2001). Validation of a modified early warning score in medical admissions. QJM 94: 521-6.
Walsh, M. (1997). Accountability and intuition: justifying nursing practice. Nurs Stand 11(23): 39-41.